Permanent magnet dynamo-electric machine



April 27, 1937. F. w. MEYRRELL PERMANENT MAGNET DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINE 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed Feb. 7, 1955 a i w 0 is Attorney.

h o t n e v m April 27, 19370 F. W. MERRELL &

PERMANENT MAGNET DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINE Filed Feb. 7, l935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i-S Attorl'iey.

' tors.

Patented Apr. 27, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Frank W. Merrill, Fort Wayne, Incl, aasimor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application February i, 1935, Serial No. 5.4%

l @laime.

My invention relates to improvements in dy name-electric machines having permanent magnet excitation and is intended primarily ior small machines such as magnetos and small ino- The invention relates primarily to the structure of the permanent magnet and its pro= tection against demagnetization while in use.

Permanent magnets have heretofore loeen used in small dynamo-electric machines. Such mag= net's have usually been of the horseshoe shape to obtain the length and shielding against demag= netization necessary for satisfactory results and. because oi the size and shape thereoi, such mag nets have usually been placed on the stator or 5 the machine. With recent improvements in per= manent magnetic materials, it is now possible to make short bar-shaped permanent magnets which will retain their magnetism indefinitely.

When such a magnet is used in a dynamo-electrio machine, it is advisable to protect it from the demagnetizing efiects generally present in such machines and one ieature oi my invention is to provide a novel shielding arrangement for this purpose. I

An undesirable feature of one of the newer otherwise very satisfactory permanent magnet materials is its extreme brittleness and hardness. such that it is impracticable to attempt ma shining operations thereon other than grinding 30 after the material has been cast. Another as== pact of my invention relates to a cast permanent et rotor for dynamo-electric machines hav ing facilities for fitting it to its shaft without destructive and diflicult machining operations on 35 the permanent magnetic material, ltsel'i. These and other improvements to be explained make it possible to employ permanent magnet rotors for dynamo-electric machines much more som erally than has heretofore been possible and also 40 to improve the machine mechanically and electrically.

The features of my invention which are be lieved to be novel and patentable will be pointed out in the claims appended hereto. For a bet- 5 ter understanding of my. invention, reference is made in the following description to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a cast permanent magnet rotor intended for a magneto generator; Fig. 2 shows 50 an end view of the rotor in position in the stator core structure of such a machine; Fig. 3 shows a side view of the rotor together with a sectional side view of the stator to illustrate that the shape of rotor used does not extend the overall 55 length of the machine; Fig. 3 also shows a flux- WE. Til- 209) shielding winding on the rotor to aid in preventing demagnetization thereof; Fig. 4 shows an end view of a permanent magnet rotor with a slightly difierent disposition of the shielding winding thereon; and Fig. 5 shows a modified form of permanent magnet rotor embodying certain features or my invention ior i e in a self-starting synchronous motor, the stator of which is also shown.

Referring that to l, I have here represeated at two-Tobie permanent magnet suitable ior use as the rotor of a small generator or magnote. The material used in the permanent magnet may he formed of an iron-nickel-aluminum alloy as descrihed in United States Patent No. 1347.274, February i3, 193%, Ruder, or I may use the ironnickel-Muminumwobalt alloy permanent magnet such as is described in United States Patent No. 1,96%,569, July 31, 193i, Ruder. With these materials, it is possible to make satisfactory hat-shaped permanent magnets of very short length. Thus the diameter of the rotor of Fig. 1, corresponding to the length or" the permanent magnet, may he or the order of three inches, for example. having the pole pieces to and it and large hublilre extensions [[2 and it at either end. The material in question is very hard and is also hrittle, especially the alloy without the cobalt content and it is, therefore, dimcult to machine so that the magnet is cast as near as possible to the erect shape and size desired.

The rotor must he fitted and secured to a suitable shaft and, in order to facilitate this, i" employ an axial tube i l of some softer and less brittle material about which the magnet is castwelded during the casting operation. The tube it may he of mild steel so that the bore of the finished casting may he reamed out or otherwise brought to size to maize a tight fit with the shaft it (Fig. 2). The shaft may then be pressed into the bore and the steel tube takes the strain of this operation without placing undue stress on the brittle permanent magnet material. The finished rotor may then be trued up by grinding if necessary hut no other machining operations will be required.

The rotor is permanently magnetized in the usual way to form north and south poles at the opposite pole pieces ill and it as indicated by the designations N and S.

The shape of and the disposition of the permanent magnet material in the rotor are such that the pole pieces afford a greater cross-sectional area in the path of the permanent magnet flux than that or the central portion of the The material is cast in one piece 7 35 be without salient 40 will be provided in the 45 chronous motor.

magnet exclusive of the axial extensions l2 and it; that is, if the extensions l2 and Il were cut of! even with the end surfaces of the pole pieces, the permanent magnet would have its smallest cross section through its middle portion. This reduced central cross section is due largely to the space occupied by the shaft and hollow tube H, which are not of permanent magnet material and hence do not serve as a storage space for permanent magnet flux. The axial extensions l2 and I! of the. rotor are thus providedas apart of the permanent magnet to accommodate a portion oi the flux that would otherwise saturate the material opposite the intersalient spaces when 3 being magnetized and prevent the magnetizing as a whole is increased.

The extension of the rotor to provide the flux capacity in the central portion does not add to the overall length oi the machine as it will be evident that the stator winding end connections I lit will surround the extensions i2 and i3 and otherwise determine the axial length of the machine as represented in Fig. 3.

The stator core structure to be used with this form of permanent magnetrotor will preferably poles so as to form a keeper for the permanent magnet in all rotary positions 0! the rotor as indicated in mg. 2 where the stator without its windings is indicated at l8. Any usual suitable form oi two-pole winding l8 slots ll of the stator (see Fig. 3)

The structure thus far described is that intended for a magneto generator. It, of course, could also be used as a non-self starting syn- The structure is rugged and compact with an emcient utilization of the magnetic material and has the important advantage, that no electrical connections, such as slip rings, are necessary between the rotor and an outside source of excitation. In dynamo-electric machines generally, there occur conditions, that may be due to armature reaction, sudden changes in load or in starting, where the sudden flux changes or distorted flux distribution may tend to eventually demagnetize the permanent magnet rotor of a machine such as described. To minimize this tendency, I prefer to provide a flux-damping coil or winding about the permanent magnet. This is shown at 20 and 2| in Figs. 3, and 4. In Fig. 3, the end turns 01' this winding are carried around the periphery of the axial extensions of the rotor core. In Fig. 4, the end turns are carried about the ends of the rotor.

65 In either case, the flux oi the permanent magnet threads this coil or winding which is short-circuited on itself so that any change in the flux oi the permanent magnet will set up an opposing current in this damping coil. Sudden or material changes in flux through the permanent magnet, such as might ordinarily occur and cause demagnetization, are thus minimized.

In Fig. 5 I have represented a self-starting synchronous motor having a permanent magnet 7 rotor embodying my invention. The stator field rotor is like that used -in hysteresis motors and may be used alone without the permanent magnet spider portion 26 represented. Such a motor is described in United States Patent No. 1,884,140,

October 25, 1932, Nickle. nent magnet insert or However, the permaspider portion. improves the synchronous motor torque and the power factor of the motor and decreases the external excitation necessary during normal operation. It likewise serves as the spider oi the rotor structure.

The permanent magnet 26- is made by castwelding the permanent magnet alloy previously referred to about a steel tube indicated in dotted lines at 21. The steel tube is then reamed out to make a tight fit with the shaft 28. A thin shell of conducting material 29 of proper resistance constituting the damper winding and containing central openings to lit the shaft is then slipped snugly over the magnet and the shaft pressed through the assembled permanent magnet structure with its damper winding. The magnet is then pressed into the cylindrical laminated steel portion 25. There will be suiilcient spring in this hollow steel portion to permit this without destructive eiiects on the brittle permanent magnet. The outer cylindrical portion. acts as a keeper for the permanent magnet which polarizes the shell portion and improves the torque and eillciency oi the motor at synchronous speed. The damper winding 29 forces the stator flux passing between the pole pieces to pass through the peripheral portion 25 of the rotor and prevents demagnetization oi' the germanent magnet during starting operations hen the rotor is non-synchronous with the field.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 01 the United States, is:

1. A permanent magnetic rotor for dynamoelectric machines having a salient pole permanent magnet symmetrically cast-welded about a tube of machinable metal substantially concentric with the axis of rotation of such rotor.

2. A permanent magnet for the rotor oi a dynamo-electric machine comprising a casting of permanent magnet material having salient pole portions and intermediate core portions, the sailent pole portions being of greater cross-sectional area than the directly intermediate connecting core portion, said intermediate core portion having integral permanently magnetized axial extensions to increase its permanent flux-carrying capacity between the salient pole pieces.

- 3. A permanent magnet for the rotor of a dyname-electric machine comprising a casting of permanent magnet terial having enlarged salient pole portions such that the magnet has a reduced center cross-section in a plane at 7 right angles to its axis of rotation and having integral permanently magnetized axial extensions from the central portion such that the crosssectional area of the permanent magnet and its 5 flux-carrying capacity is substantially uniform throughout its magnetic axis.

15 netic axis, said material being cast-welded about a tube of less brittle and more easily machinable material extending therethrough substantially concentric with the axis of rotation.

5. A rotor for dynamo-electric machines hav- 0 ing a two-pole permanent magnet with facilities for rotatively mounting it at its center, and a closed-circuited conductor surrounding said per manent magnet between its pole portions for minimizing demagnetiaing flux changes therein.

6. A salient pole permanent magnet for the rotor of a dynamo-electric machine comprising a two-pole permanent magnet having a reduced center cross section in a central plane at right angles to its axis of rotation and having axial extensions at its central portionbetween the salient pole portions to give the magnet substantially the same cross-sectional area throughout its magnetic axis, and a closed-circuited conductor surrounding the central portion of said magnet between the pole pieces for minimizing demagnetizing flux changes therein.

7. A rotor for a two-pole self-starting synchronous motor having an outer cylindrical por- 

